


Traditional Carer

by BlackParadise



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Sex (probably), Bondage, Diapers, F/M, Gags, I tagged those as non-consensual but it's also kinda dubcon, Infantilism, M/M, Multi, Non-Consensual Bondage, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Consensual Spanking, Past Child Abuse, Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, bottles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2018-09-10 14:52:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 13,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8921371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackParadise/pseuds/BlackParadise
Summary: The Wizarding World has an interesting way of dealing with suicide attempts. Harry finds this out the hard way, when he is assigned one of the more traditional carers, Lucius Malfoy. Set at the end of OotP but Harry killed Voldemort in the DoM, Sirius is still dead, the DoM battle occurred earlier in the year (about a month before exams)WARNING: SUICIDE ATTEMPT IS MENTIONED, AS WELL AS SELF HARM





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first fic in a while... I have no idea when this will be updated or how long it will be - it's a plot bunny that I can't escape!

Severus stared down at the frail form of Harry Potter, looking absolutely tiny against the stark bedsheets of the hospital wing, padded restraints secured around his wrists. They were lucky. Neville Longbottom had grown worried when Harry hadn’t gotten out of bed and had opened the boy’s curtains. If they’d waited until after breakfast, Harry would have been dead. Too far gone to save. As it was, they’d barely managed to save him.

Severus ran a hand tiredly through his hair, wondering how no-one saw this coming. By all appearances, Harry had seemed to be alright, upset but coping with the loss of his godfather and the outcome of that final battle, which had ended the war just two weeks ago. Severus’ eyes slid from the boy, to his own forearm, clean of the Dark Mark for the first time in over 15 years, all thanks to Harry Potter.

“The Boy Who Conquered” Severus muttered under his breath, “How could we not have seen?”

He slumped into a chair and buried his head in his hands. The wizarding world had an interesting policy about attempted suicide. In Britain, there was a selection of 25 carers, all high in social circles, of which each attempter was assigned to one, who would take over primary care of the individual until they were declared mentally stable.

Several carers took the traditional route, finding the root cause of the suicide attempt and trying to right the wrongs done to them. Others leaned more towards the muggle route, through counselling and talking things over. Both ways worked with differing effectiveness, based off the person.

 

Severus looked up at the sound of footsteps, managing a tiny half smile for the matron.

“Has he woken?” Poppy Pomfrey asked softly, casting a spell over Harry.

Severus shook his head, “How did it go?” He asked, almost terrified to hear the results. Poppy had called, as per her rights as a Healer, an emergency session of the Wizenagamot, who were informed of Harry’s attempt at his own life and would vote on which carer would help the boy. Of the 25 carers, only 11 were currently available.

“They dismissed me for the voting” She said softly, “However I believe they are leaning traditional, with the suspected abuse, based off his medical scan”  
Her face was pale, the grim reality of having one of her students, one of her regular patients, abused at home without her noticing. She couldn’t understand it. Every first year was meant to be given a full medical history exam, but she could never remember giving one to Harry Potter, yet her records held a copy of his medical history. 

“We’ll get to the bottom of this Poppy” Severus said quietly, “But Harrys health needs to come first right now”

She nodded, holding back tears as she took in the boy in front of her, reaching out and gently moving a lock of hair off his face, “Will you be able to explain to him what will happen, once he wakes up? I fear I may break down crying.” She asked him quietly.

 

Severus gave a short nod, looking up as the hospital wing doors open and Minerva came racing over, having been forced to leave to teach a bunch of first years. 

“Any change?” She asked, resuming her previous position next to Harry’s side, stroking his cheek lightly.  
Poppy shook her head, “He should be waking any minute now, and the potions have almost finished doing their job. I won’t be able to give him anything more until his carer arrives.

 

As if Poppy’s words had triggered something, Harry began to stir, shifting a little before he seemed to become aware of himself, trying to bolt upright. He was stopped by two things, the restraints holding his wrists to the bed, and Severus’ firm hand in the middle of his chest, pressing him back down gently.

“Easy Potter,” Severus said quietly to him, “Don’t strain yourself.”

Harry’s eyes welled with tears, as realization hit him that he failed. “Why?” He whispered, tugging fruitlessly on the restraints.

“Why what?” Minerva asked, making both Severus and Poppy flinch, as both knew what the probably answer was.

“Why did you save me?” Harry choked on a sob, breath coming in short bursts as he cried.

Minerva held back her own tears and stroked a hand down his cheek, wiping away the beads of water.

“Because you have so much life left to live” Poppy murmured, when Minerva seemed unable to answer, spelling Harry’s glasses into place so that he could see, managing a watery smile.

They all sat in silence for a few minutes, before Severus finally cleared his throat, “I need to explain what will happen now Potter” He said, taking a few moments more to contemplate his words before being to explain.

“At this moment, the Wizenagamot is voting on a carer for you, who will take control of your wellbeing until it is decided that you can do so yourself. As you are still a minor, the chosen carer will also act as your guardian until you turn 17. Your guardianship has already been stripped from your relatives,” He took a deep breath and laid a reassuring hand on Harry’s arm when the boy’s breath hitched, “You never have to go back there again.”

Harry’s eyes widened and he shook a little, “I-I don’t have to go back?” He whispered, nearly silently. 

“Never” Severus promised, squeezing his arm gently and managing a small smile for him.

The Hospital Wing floo flared, before a letter fluttered in and over to Poppy, who quickly opened and read it, her face paling slightly, “Oh my” She murmured softly, hand going up to cover her mouth.

“Poppy?” Minerva asked, rising to her feet, “What is it?”

“Harry has been assigned…” She whispered in horror, “to Lucius Malfoy.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucius arrives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad to see the warm response this fic has gotten! Thank you to everyone who has left kudos or a comment!. Makes me feel all happy inside.
> 
> Also disclaimer: I do not own HP, and I am not a medical professional.

Minerva gasped lightly, laying a hand on Harry’s leg reassuringly, “Why him?” She snarled.

“Apparently he won out because he has a son of Harry’s age, and something about a fiancé who will be living with him once the school year ends” Poppy frowned, “It doesn’t say who the fiancé is.”

Both Poppy and Minerva exchanged glances, before turning to the bed, where Severus was gently soothing a distraught Harry.

“It’ll be okay Potter, he won’t hurt you” Severus soothed, stroking his hair as Harry began to sob and thrash around. He’d stopped paying attention after Lucius’ name had been mentioned, focusing on the terrified boy and unable to help the relief shooting through him.

Harry wouldn’t calm down, frantically trying to free himself, breath coming out in short gasps. His panic only increased when the fire flared green once more and Lord Malfoy himself stepped out, still fully robed from the Wizenagamot session.

Lucius took note of the situation, before easily summoning a potion and passing it to Severus, knowing that the boy was beyond being talked down.

Severus sniffed at the potion once, verifying what it was, and that he had made it himself. He held the vial to Harry lips, holding the back of his head in place when Harry tried to pull away, “Just drink it” Severus soothed gently to him, shifting his hand down the back of Harry’s head, managing to ease one thumb into the edge of his mouth. This forced his mouth open long enough for Severus to empty the potion in.

Once the vial was empty, Severus dropped it, using his hand to clamp Harry’s jaw shut, just as the boy tried to spit it out.

“No Harry” Severus said gently, “You need to swallow that now.” He used his hands to tilt Harry’s head back, forcing the liquid to slip down his throat.

The potion started working almost straight away, Harry slowly going limp against the bed, still awake but sedated.

Severus sat back with a relieved sigh, stroking a hand through Harry’s hair, “There we go.”

Lucius stood behind Severus, a hand resting lightly on his shoulder before he turned to face the two concerned women in the room, “Severus and I are engaged to be married. After his obligations here are finished, he plans to move into my Manor, where he will be able to help me take care of young Mr Potter.”

Poppy nodded, “I would wish you congratulations but this doesn’t seem to be the right time” She murmured softly with a light sigh.

Lucius nodded, setting his cane down next to Severus’ chair before shucking off his outer robe and laying in on the nearest free bed. His leather travelling gloves joined the robes. Lucius also unbuttoned his inner robes, throwing them on the bed and leaving him in just a white collared shirt and black slacks.

“Let’s have a look” He murmured softly, moving over to Harry, who glared fiercely at him, despite the clear worry in his eyes.

“Don’t touch me!” He snarled, words starting to slur together slightly.

“I won’t hurt you Mr Potter” Lucius said gently, “I just need to have a look at you so I can understand how to help you.”

With that, he carefully unbuckled one of the wrist restraints, holding the wrist lightly in his hand. He used his other hand to carefully unravel the bandaging, revealing a long scab, which was the length of Harry’s forearm. Lucius gently rolled Harry’s wrist from side to side before redoing the bandages and buckling him back into the restraints, hushing Harry when the boy whimpered.

Lucius repeated his actions with his other wrist, nodding a little to himself. “The judge said there appeared to be a history of child abuse?” He asked the room at large, to which both Poppy and Severus nodded.

“His arms show evidence of prolonged self-mutilation” Lucius said quietly, “From the amount of layered scars, I would estimate it starting around a year and a half ago. Around the time the names were drawn for the Triwizard Tournament if I were to guess.” The small flinch from the boy restrained to his bed told him that his guess was correct.

Lucius straightened up and sighed softly, “I’ll take him home with me now. I had the elves prepare the room I thought he’d need. I just wish I’d been wrong.”

Poppy nodded, beginning to prepare the discharge paperwork, “I’ll floo around in two days to check on the progress of his healing.” She informed him, voice allowing no room for argument.

Lucius nodded easily, “Harry?” He said quietly, turning to the dark-haired boy, “We’re going to go home now. Are you going to be good and cooperate or do I have to sedate you further?”

Harry’s eyes flicked anxiously between the blonde and the others in the room before he finally said quietly, “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Lucius sighed softly, “As expected.”

He crossed back over and grabbed a shrunken bag out of his outer robes, resizing it and grabbing two items from inside. One was a strip of cloth, the other a vial of sleeping potion, which would work safely with the one already give to Harry.

Lucius returned to Harry’s side and, so quickly that Poppy barely saw it, had Harry’s glasses removed and the strip of cloth tied around his head as a blindfold.

“Open wide Harry” Lucius said quietly, unstopping the vial with a loud pop.

Harry flinched at the sound and shook his head, clamping his mouth shut.

Lucius sighed once more, holding his hand out. Severus handed him something and he quickly transferred the potion into the muggle hypodermic needle. Some of the things the muggles invented were actually useful to the magical world.

Lucius gently tugged up the sleeve of Harry’s t-shirt, using a sterilizing charm on his hands, the syringe, and his arm, before slipping the needle in with a well trained eye.

His free hand held the boy still whilst he pushed down the plunger, “All done” he soothed as he slid it out, leaning Harry back against the pillows.

He then undid the blindfold, having used it simply to help himself get Harry to sleep. 

Lucius watched Harry silently as he put his robes back on, seemingly waiting for something.

Harry realized what it was, when his eyes drooped suddenly and uncontrollably, falling asleep in mere seconds.


	3. Chapter Three

Lucius sighed lightly, “This isn’t going to be easy” He said softly, getting nods from each of the others in the room.

“Are you going to get him ready here or at the Manor?” Severus asked quietly, “I have classes soon so I won’t be able to accompany you home.”

“Here I think,” Lucius murmured softly, “I don’t want to risk the floo journey waking him up, given the resistance his body has built to sleeping potions.”

Severus nodded and stood up, preparing to help Lucius.

Lucius grabbed two bags out of his robes, setting them on the bed and resizing them with a tap of his wand.

He stepped back over to the bed, gently un-restraining Harry’s arms, laying them down carefully on the bed.

He glanced up at Severus, “Help me undress him?”

Severus nodded and between the two of them, Harry was soon laying naked on the bed. His glasses were folded and placed in Lucius’ pocket for when he needed them.

Severus hummed lightly, using a charm to remove Harry’s body hair, new and sparse as it was. Once Harry was devoid of any hair below his neck, Severus slid a nappy under his bum, before coating him in cream and powder. The nappy was then fastened around Harry’s waist and spelled to prevent the boy from removing it.

While Severus nappied Harry, Lucius was laying out a fleece lined sleeper, medium blue with stars in different shades of blue all over it. It was long-sleeved and had feet, to help keep Harry toasty warm. Lucius also laid out silky silver mittens, designed to limit the use of his hands.

With help from Severus, Harry was soon bundled in the sleeper, his hands secured in the mittens and a dummy slipped into his mouth. The dummy had a sticking charm on it, so that Harry wouldn’t be able to spit it out straight away.

Lucius stepped back and couldn’t hold in a soft coo at how cute Harry looked, snuggled up in his sleeper, already sucking lightly on the dummy on reflex which made it bob slowly under his nose.

“This is perfect for him.” Severus said quietly, moving over and pecking Lucius lightly, “You should get him home. I will be home in a week.”

Lucius nodded, laying down a blanket and lifting Harry onto it once he pecked Severus back. He swaddled Harry tightly in the blanket before cradling him against his chest, stroking a soft cheek before shrinking his bags once more.

Once the bags were tucked away, he said a soft goodbye to Severus and headed to the floo, stepping through with a call of “Malfoy Manor, Family Wing” as he stepped into the fire, appearing in the living room he and Severus used most often, a second later.

Harry thankfully stayed asleep through the floo journey, cuddling against Lucius’ chest.

Lucius smiled in relief and walked to his study, laying Harry in the bassinet that had been set up next to his desk before sitting down and starting to work, waiting for Harry to awaken to his new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pictures of Harrys sleeper, and the bassinet can be found on my twitter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry wakes up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the longest chapter I'm afraid - my laptop is broken so this is 100% written on my phone - please let me know if there are any glaring errors if you could - not the best at phone typing!

Harry woke up slowly, drifting back to consciousness like a feather slowly drifting to the floor. His head felt fuzzy and he tried to recall why Madame Pomfrey would have given him a sleeping potion. His mind drifted back and his eyes flew open suddenly as the events before he lost consciousness caught up with him. He’d been given to Lucius Malfoy to look after. Lucius Malfoy, known Death Eater and father of the Prat-Who-Never-Left-Him-Alone. 

Harry blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision before realizing that he didn’t have his glasses, which made him quickly give up that endeavour.

Harry nearly screamed when he realized that he was no longer in the hospital wing, the ceiling above him different to that of the wing. He’d grown familiar with the patterns of the hospital wing ceiling, due to his frequent and often long-winded visits to the infirmary, enough that he could recognize it even without his glasses.

Harry took a moment to calm himself, trying to looking around the room and get a sense of his surroundings. He frowned when he noticed grey bars on either side of himself, trying to reach out a hand to touch them. It was then he realized that he was wrapped in something, tight enough that his arms were pinned to his side.

He let out a squeak, before his frown deepened as he realized there was something in his mouth. He immediately tried to push it out, but the rubber object only slipped back in, making it seem as though he was sucking on it. 

Harry growled in frustration before nearly screaming again as a face suddenly appeared in his field of vision. Despite his terrible eyesight, Harry could make out the long blonde hair that was characteristic of Lucius Malfoy.

Harry yelled into the object in his mouth, even as hands reached down and slid under his head and bum, lifting him easily from the bed (or was it a cage? Harry asked himself, thinking of the bars) that he’d been laying in. 

“What’s got you all frowny?” Lucius crooned down at him, lifting Harry and shifting him so that he was cradled against his chest, sitting down in his desk chair, “Is my little man hungry?”

Harry’s eyes widened as he listened, shaking his head and trying to wriggle away from the man. He tried to talk into the object in his mouth, but only garbled noises reached his ears.

“Such a talkative boy” Lucius smiled, stroking his cheek and ignoring the way Harry pulled away from the touch.

Harry growled and started thrashing around, trying to get himself away from the man, who, in Harry’s opinion, had gone absolutely insane. 

He let out a scream into what he now realized with a dummy as Lucius shifted him so that they were chest to chest with Harry’s head on Lucius’ shoulder. A large hand ran up and down his back gently, before resting on his bum and starting to pat lightly. 

Harry screamed again when he noticed the padding between the pats and his skin, realizing that he’d been put into a nappy whilst asleep.

“Shhhh little man” Lucius murmured, standing up and rocking from side to side, keeping up with the slow pats and back rubbing, his other hand curled under Harry’s bum to hold him up. 

Harry shook his head angrily and tried to tug himself away, even as the blanket unhooked and slipped off, freeing his arms and legs. He triumphed at his new found freedom and tried to tug the dummy out, only to find the silver material covering his hands couldn’t get a grip on it. They slid uselessly off the plastic, so Harry turned his attention to pushing and hitting at Lucius’ chest.

“No Harry” Lucius’ voice turned stern as he stopped patting and caught one of his hands, “We don’t hit. Hitting is mean” He scolded, much as one would scold a child.

Harry’s face paled as the penny dropped, a huge weight settling into the bottom of his stomach. He was dressed in a onesie. With a dummy in his mouth. A nappy on. He’d been in a bassinet. He was being treated like a baby.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

 

Lucius rocked him, sang to him, bounced him, rubbed his back, but nothing seemed to work to calm him down. He just kept screaming.

 

"Come on little man" Lucius murmured softly, pacing down one of the Manor's hallways, bouncing Harry lightly, "Calm down. You're making Daddy worry."

 

Harry stiffened at the word Daddy and his screams paused for a second, allowing Lucius to get a few words in, "Can you please calm down? I'll take your dummy out and we can talk okay? But only if you stop screaming"

 

Harry considered for a few seconds before nodding and staying quiet, forest green eyes glaring at the man distrustfully.

 

Lucius smiled and walked down to his study again, sitting down with Harry on his lap, chest to chest. He gently took a hold of the dummy and slid it out, the sticking charm keyed to himself and Severus.

 

He rubbed Harry's back lightly, giving the lad time to think up what he wanted to say, "no yelling please" he said softly.

 

"W-why are you doing this?" Harry croaked, asking the first thing that popped into his mind.

 

"Because you hurt yourself" Lucius murmured, stroking Harry's cheek, "And I think this is the best way to help, to give you the childhood you need."

  
  
Harry shook his head weakly, "I'm fine though. I've always been fine."

  
  
It was Lucius' turn to shake his head, "You tried to kill yourself little guy" he soothed, "that isn't fine."

  
  
Harry's face morphed into a scowl and he huffed lightly at him, "I'm not little." He realized after he said it just how much like a petulant three-year-old he sounded and grimaced at himself.

 

 Lucius smiled softly, "I promise that we aren't doing this to embarrass, upset or hurt you" he vowed, "we just want to help."

  
  
"We?" Harry frowned, looking up at the man and trying to focus his eyes on his face, blurry without his glasses.

 

"Papa and Draco will be home in a few days," Lucius smiled softly, "I know that Papa is looking forward to helping take care of you."  
  


"Who's Papa?" Harry's frown deepened, "and how does Draco feel about this? We're not exactly on the best of terms." He scoffed at himself, not on the best of terms was putting it lightly.

"Your Papa is Severus," Lucius chuckled softly, running his hand up and down Harry's spine lightly, "And Draco has matured a lot this year. He's always been good with people who've been assigned to me before. If he gives you any trouble or upsets you, I want you to tell me okay little one?"  
  


Harry scowled deeply at him, "I'm not a snitch," He huffed loudly, "and Snape!? Seriously?! The man hates me!"

 

Lucius couldn't help but chuckle again, "Your Papa doesn't hate you little one. He had to put on a front during the war to keep himself and you safe," he explained, "You'll be able to get to know him properly once they get home."  
  
He stood up and sat Harry gently on his hip, slipping the dummy back into place lightly, "How about we get you something to fill up that little stomach? You must be hungry."  
  
He braced himself for the battle that would follow as he descended the stairs to the kitchen. Harry had been refusing food and water for the entire time he was in the hospital wing and hadn't eaten much at all in the weeks before his suicide attempt. Madame Pomfrey had resorted to spelling potions into him for nutrition, which was not a long term solution.

Lucius sighed softly, they had a plan if Harry refused to eat this meal, because he'd gone far too long without food. He just hoped they didn't need to connect Harry up to a nasogastric feeding tube. His little boy wouldn't like that one bit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! My computer still isn't fixed but I'm back where there is internet connection at least!
> 
> What do you guys think? Will Harry end up on a feeding tube? Do you want to see a chapter of Severus/Lucius explaining to Draco about Harry?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ran a couple of polls on twitter before writing this chapter! If you want to vote and future polls and help me make decisions with this story - follow me there! @blackparadiseff

"Malfoy, stay behind class" Severus called, vanished the writing on the chalkboard, "homework is 12 inches on the uses of Dragon scales in healing potions, and 6 inches on the different properties of different dragons' scales. Class dismissed"  
  
He watched as the fifth years filed slowly out of the room, the Slytherins quietly satisfied with the points rewarded throughout the class, whilst the Gryffindors remained the sad, downtrodden bunch they'd been since Potter had disappeared.

"What did you need Sev?" Draco smiled softly, moving to the front of the classroom and leaning against one of the desks. He considered Severus, who legally was his godfather, soon-to-be stepfather, his second biological father. Severus had been around since he was a kid, younger than he could remember.

"Just wanted to warn you that your father has been awarded custody in a suicide case," Severus smiled lightly, an expression not many got to see, "So there will be a young boy staying at the manor when you get home."

Draco nodded slightly, setting his bag down lightly, "How long do you think they'll be there?" he asked quietly. The longest they'd had a suicide case stay before was two months, which had all taken place whilst Draco was at school, he'd barely met the boy. 

Severus sighed softly, "The Ministry has awarded custody for a minimum of two years" He said quietly, nodding at Draco's shocked expression, "he's that bad."

Draco gulped, "Dear Merlin, what happened to him?"

Severus raised an eyebrow, "His parents were murdered, he can still remember his mother dying in front of him. He has been abused heavily after being placed with his mothers family, up until he reached Hogwarts age. Each year he's gone through some horrible events, often times getting injured or nearly dying. At the end of each year, he was forced to go back to the family that hurt him. Since his birth, he was hunted by the Dark Lord, until last month, when, at fifteen, he watched his godfather die and had to kill someone" he said bluntly, watching Draco's expressions carefully.

Draco stuttered for a few moments, going over the information in his mind and putting it together easily, "Potter? Potter tried to kill himself?" he asked in disbelief, eyes wide.

Severus nodded, "damn well near succeeded as well. He's been starving himself since the battle, so he was weak to begin with. If Longbottom hadn't... it was close" he said quietly, "he spent two nights in hospital before your father was awarded custody."

Draco gulped before nodding, "I won't cause trouble Sev. For him to... try that, I don't want to add anything to it. He's already going through a lot, he doesn't need any shit from me."

Severus smiled a little and pulled Draco into a light hug, "thank you. I'm not sure what sort of condition he's going to be in when we get there, so prepare yourself for the worst" he warned softly.

Draco nodded quickly, "I will. We're still flooing home after the Leaving Feast?" He asked. That day was a Thursday, with Friday being the last day of classes before summer, and the Leaving Feast on Saturday evening. The train left in the morning on Sunday. Himself and Severus had always left after the feast, not wanting to deal with the chaos and disorganization of the next morning.

Severus nodded, "meet me in my office after with your stuff and we'll go home" he smiled softly, ready to be home as much as his surrogate son.

He wrote Draco a quick note to give to his next teacher before sending the boy on his way, snapping at the seventh years to get inside as he started writing up the directions for SkeleGro.

 

_Meanwhile, at Malfoy Manor_

"Just a few mouthfuls Harry, please" Lucius murmured softly, stroking his cheek and trying again to nudge his lips with the spoon.

Harry scowled and turned his head away again, eyeing the spoonful of orange mush that Lucius insisted was carrots with distaste, "I'm not hungry" He snapped, pushing at Lucius' hand.

Lucius sighed softly, sitting back and putting the spoon into the bowl. He'd been trying to get Harry to eat for over half an hour with no luck, not even the tiniest lick of food had gone down Harry's throat. He stood up and headed to the cupboard, grabbing out formula and milk, mixing up and warming a bottle.

He carefully lifted Harry out of the highchair, ignoring the way he squirmed, and sat down with Harry in his lap.

Harry frowned at him before shaking his head rapidly as the bottle came into view, "no way!" he yelled, ignoring the worry he could see in Lucius' face. The man had no need to be worried about him. 'I am  **fine** ' he told himself, clamping his lips shut as the bottle approached.

"Please little one," Lucius pleaded, "you need to get some nutrients into you or you'll get very sick." he tried to nudge Harry lips with the bottle, sighing when Harry turned his face away.

He slid his arm around so that Harry was cradled against his chest with his head leaning on Lucius' upper arm, using his lower arm to pin his face in place. He used his hand to carefully pry Harry's mouth open, his other hand guiding the bottle into his mouth.

Harry struggled as much as he could as he was maneuvered around, letting out small noises of irritation as he lost, the bottle slipping between his lips after just a few seconds. He tried to push it out with his tongue, only to be rewarded with a spurt of milk for his efforts. He immediately forced the liquid out around the nozzle, spurting milk over his chin and Lucius' hand.

'Ha' he thought to himself, 'take that.'

Lucius sighed and slipped the bottle back out, sitting Harry up and grabbing a cloth, wiping them both clean slowly and carefully. 

"You give me no choice little one" he murmured, stroking Harry's cheek and sitting him back in the highchair. 

"Dipsy!" He called firmly, waiting for the house-elf to pop into the room before continuing, "Bring me the items I laid out in the bathroom this morning."

The elf nodded and popped away, returning a few moments later and laying the items out of the table for him. Most of it was wrapped in sterile packaging but he knew what each item was. The final item the elf left standing next to the table, an IV pole.

Harry eyed everything nervously, "w-what are you doing?" He asked softly, trying to push himself out of the highchair.

"You need nutrition little one" Lucius murmured, slipping on a pair of gloves and opening an alcohol swab, running it over Harry's nose.

He then carefully checked over both of Harry's nostrils, holding him still as he squirmed, "Left side I think" He said after a few moments, before tilting Harry's head so he was looking him right in the eye, "I need you to listen to me okay? I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

Harry scowled and tried to pull his head away stubbornly, before finally nodding when he realized that Lucius was waiting for an answer.

Lucius carefully measured up the length of tube against Harry's body, marking it with a tap of his wand before using a charm to numb Harry's nose and throat, "When I tell you to, I need you to swallow alright?" he said firmly, leaving no room for argument as he lubricated the tip of the tube and started sliding it into Harry's nose.

He carefully slid it up his nose and down into his throat, waiting for Harry to gag before instructing him to swallow, allowing the tube to slide easily into Harry's oesophagus and stomach. He used a syringe to take a sample and tested it with a wave of his wand, confirming that the tube was in the right spot before taping it to Harry's face.

"You did well little one" He murmured softly, stroking Harry's cheek and smiling despite the angry expression that was sent back at him, "Yes I know, I'm a terrible person for making sure you don't starve." 

With that, he turned around and got the bag of liquid nutrition ready, hooking it onto the pole and connecting it to the end of the tube, starting the slow drip of food into Harry's stomach. He then charmed the NG tube so that Harry couldn't tug it out.

"Now, that's going to take about half an hour to feed you," Lucius smiled, "how about we read a story while we wait?" he asked, ignoring Harry's murderous expression as he attempted to climb out of the highchair once more. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Those following my twitter know that I've just moved to university and started med-school so it's hard to balance my lectures and assignments with writing time!

Lucius ignored the glare that Harry was sending him, sighing softly to himself. Harry had been there for almost a week now and hadn't shown a single sign of regressing or relaxing into the treatment. He still fought everything, including food. The NG tube was still in place, because Lucius hadn't been able to coax any food into the boy. He was starting to get seriously worried about Harry's health so Poppy would be coming over the next day to have a look and give some suggestions on how to help him. She'd been there the day after Harry arrived, but that was five days ago and Lucius wasn't ashamed to admit that he was worried.

He saw the last of Harry's 6pm feed slide down the tube and stood up, moving over to the highchair smoothly, "there we go little one, all fed for a little while" he crooned softly, detaching the feed bag and lifting Harry out of the highchair.

He moved quickly, pinning Harry's arms between their chests before the boy could start struggling, "sssh little one" he soothed, rocking lightly back and forth to soothe him.

"Papa and Draco get home tonight," he murmured to Harry, feeling him stiffen, "isn't that exciting?"

Harry shook his head stubbornly, "No!" He yelled loudly, "Let me go!"

Lucius sighed softly and tucked Harry's face against his neck, "Relax Harry, we don't yell at Daddy," he scolded lightly. He rocked them slowly back and forth, humming lightly as he waited for Harry to relax against him. It normally took about five minutes before Harry gave up on struggling against him, too weak to get himself free from Lucius' arms.

"Papa and I, are going to give you a bath later, won't that be nice?" Lucius murmured lightly. So far he'd only been able to use cleaning charms on Harry, because his wounds were still healing, not helped by the fact that Harry took every opportunity to hit his arms or make them bleed again. He was in mittens 24/7 but had still managed to rip his scabs off twice, by rubbing his arms against his crib until it started bleeding.

Nap and bedtime had become even more of a struggle after that, with Lucius having to restrain his arms down to prevent Harry from harming himself.

Harry stiffened against his chest once more, "don't want a bath," he huffed, not realizing just how whiny his voice sounded, "I can shower myself."

"Sorry love, but you can't at the moment, Daddy can't trust you yet." Lucius murmured, rubbing his back lightly when Harry stayed stiff. He was glad that Severus was going to be home for Harry's first bath, he was going to need all the help he could get to make it through.

Lucius hummed soothingly to Harry, pacing around the living room and waiting for his fiance and son to floo home. He couldn't wait. He missed having people in the manor who weren't spending every minute trying to escape or hurt themselves.

Harry mumbled something softly, barely audible before his cheeks flushed a light pink color. 

"What was that Harry?" Lucius asked softly, "Daddy didn't hear."

Harry flushed a brighter pink, something that made Lucius happy, as when Harry arrived he barely had enough blood in him to blush. He stayed quiet for a few moments, but Lucius waited patiently for him to figure out what to say.

"I don't want Draco to see me like this" Harry whispered finally, before hiding his face against Lucius' neck from embarrassment, "He'll be mean."

Lucius twisted his head so that he could plant a kiss on the messy mop of hair on his shoulder, "I promise you that he won't, and if he does, I'll deal with it okay?" He murmured softly to Harry.

"Why?" Harry snapped, getting frustrated, "He's your son! Why would you side with me over him?"

Lucius smiled a little, glad to see that little bit of fire coming from Harry, "It's not about choosing sides little one, it's about being fair. Draco has changed over the past year and he knows the difference between right and wrong. If he is in the wrong, then he'll get in trouble. If you're in the wrong, you'll get in trouble. No-one is going to take sides."

Harry couldn't help but relax at Lucius' words. He'd been terrified that Draco would have a position of power over him and that Lucius and Severus wouldn't care what he did to Harry. 

Lucius' smile grew when he felt Harry relax, rubbing his back lightly and going back to humming soothingly.

A few minutes later, the floo flared green, two figures appearing shortly after each other. 

Severus came through first, crossing over to his fiance immediately with a soft smile. He pecked Lucius lightly, before running a hand through Harry's hair.

"Missed you" Lucius murmured softly, leaning forward and kissing him a couple more times.

Severus smiled softly, "I missed you too Luca."

Harry couldn't help but let out a soft whine, burrowing against Lucius and trying to hide.

Severus held back a coo and rubbed his back gently, "Is someone feeling a bit shy?" He murmured.

Lucius chuckled lightly, "Why don't you say hello to Papa and Draco little one?"

Harry shook his head stubbornly, cuddling closer and whining again. Despite all of Lucius' assurances, he still didn't want anyone seeing him like this. He felt out of place and humiliated and all he wanted to do was hide.

Lucius sat down on the couch, just talking quietly with Draco and Severus, catching up on what had happened at Hogwarts since they'd last talked. He noticed Harry slowly getting less nervous, peeking out of his neck before quickly hiding again.

It took fifteen minutes of quiet conversation for Harry to feel brave enough to sit up properly and squirm to get off Lucius' lap.

Draco and Severus both exchanged glances when they saw the feeding tube, Draco paling lightly at the sudden stark reminder of just how sick his classmate was. 

"Let's go give you a bath hm?" Lucius murmured soothingly, standing up and sitting Harry gently on his hip, Severus standing up a second later. 

Draco followed them out of the room but veered off to his own bedroom to unpack, while Lucius and Severus headed for the bathroom.

Harry started squirming around the second they left the living room. He didn't want to be seen naked by anyone at all, let alone his old Potions professor. He'd struggled enough with getting nappy changes from Lucius, after being humiliatingly forced to wet his nappy. Thanks to the mostly liquid diet he was on, he hadn't had to make a bowel movement and suffer that embarrassment and he hoped to escape long before that was needed.

"Do you want bubbles?" Lucius asked softly, rocking Harry lightly as Severus began running the bath, grabbing shampoo and conditioner, along with a sensitive skin body wash formulated for babies or those with injuries. 

Harry scowled at him, "I want to take a shower!" He snapped, kicking his feet and trying to wriggle down.

"Not an option I'm afraid little one" Severus said quietly, straightening up and rubbing his back, "I think we'll skip the bubbles today, we can have them another time."

Lucius nodded, setting Harry on his feet lightly and starting to unbutton the front of his sleeper. Today's sleeper had been London themed, with little cartoons all over it. 

Harry scowled and tried to wriggle away from him, as his arms were gently guided out of the sleeper, revealing the large white bandages covering his cuts. 

Lucius sat down on the toilet lid and pulled Harry onto his lap, holding him firmly around the waist and rubbing his stomach so Severus could check his arms, wanting to make sure that they were healing correctly.

Severus gently took one arm at a time, unwinding and throwing out the bandages and inspecting the wounds. Self-inflicted wounds couldn't be healed by magic, as the persons own magic would reject the healing. They would have to heal the muggle way, before the scars could be fixed with a salve. 

"There's a slight infection in the wound on his left arm" Severus said quietly, "we'll need to keep an eye on that."

Lucius nodded, before Severus cast a charm to protect the cuts from the water, before Lucius stood and carried Harry to the now filled bath and stripped off his clothing completely. His nappy was dry, as he was still refusing to go to the bathroom without being forced, something that was also worrying Lucius and he planned to talk to Poppy about. 

Harry whined softly as he was lowered into the water, focusing on his arms and trying to figure out a way to scratch at the cuts and see them bleed. 

"I don't need a bath" He repeated anxiously, trying to push himself out weakly, only to find Severus' hands on his shoulders, holding him down.

"Just relax and let us get you clean," Severus soothed, grabbing a cup and filling it with water, "It'll feel so nice." He and Lucius fell into an easy rhythm, with Severus starting to gently wet Harry's hair while Lucius stroked his cheek gently and held his hands. They didn't want to fully restrain Harry to the bath but if he tried to hurt himself again they would be left with no choice. 

Harry squirmed around, even as long, potion stained fingers sunk into his hair, starting to massage shampoo in lightly. The longer the scalp massage continued, the more Harry's body slumped against the slope of the bath, eyes drooping slowly. The massage was so relaxing that Harry found himself letting his eyes slip shut as the shampoo was rinsed out, drifting to sleep a moment later.

"Your scalp massage never fails to make a little one drift off" Lucius chuckled softly, leaning over and pecking Severus' cheek before helping him to clean Harry up.

"Special talent" Severus joked, rinsing out the shampoo carefully and putting conditioner in, "Once we get in him in bed, we need to have a talk about how he's doing. Poor lad is barely alive."

Lucius nodded with a sigh, "It's been bad Sev. No way to sugar-coat it. He's is a very bad place and very ll on top of that. I'm amazed he's still alive."

Severus nodded, and together, the pair worked in tandem to clean Harry up carefully before he was lifted out of the bath. Harry stayed fast asleep, even as he was dressed in a sleep sack with owls on it and laid lightly in his crib.

Lucius stepped forward and redressed Harry's wounds, before sighing and carefully restraining his arms to the sides of the crib, leaning down to kiss his forehead before straightening.

He and Severus stood there for a few moments, Severus' arm wrapped around Lucius' shoulder with the blond head on his shoulder. They looked down at the peacefully sleeping boy, the bandages and the feeding tube the only signs that screamed he was unwell, other than his small size. 

"let's go have that talk" Lucius murmured finally, turning on the nightlight and together, both men left Harry to sleep.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus and Lucius talk about Harry, and Harry has a hard night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Feel free to follow me on twitter @blackparadiseff where I post updates and polls for my readers to vote on! As always, I don't own Harry Potter, J.K Rowling does.

Lucius curled up with Severus on the couch, head leaning on his fiances chest lightly, "It's been so hard Sev, he's so sick and refuses every attempt to help" He murmured softly, "I knew that it was bad but I didn't realize just how much so."  
  
Severus nodded, rubbing Lucius' side gently and sighing, "He's got a long way to go." He nodded, "How has he been handling the feeding tube?"  
  
Lucius chuckled darkly, "he's one powerful kid, I have to reapply the harm holding it in place every morning and night because he breaks it down with his magic, he's that determined not to eat."  
  
"I'll try and find a new charm to use" Severus murmured, "At least he has the determination to stop you from feeding him, it shows he has some of his spark let."  
  
Lucius smiled softly and nodded, "it was the only thing that stopped me from getting mad at him when he tugged on it."  
  
They continued to talk quietly, going over all of Harry's test results and making sure that both of them were up to speed with his condition and mental state. 

Severus laid back against the couch with a soft groan, it was past three am and they needed to get to bed, "anything else you can think of?" He asked Lucius softly, stroking his hair.

Lucius nodded, "just that he still hasn't had a bowel movement and he needs to be forced to wet every single time." 

Severus nodded a little, "we can keep an eye on it. I think keeping up with the stomach massage for wetting, rather then using a potion is a good idea. That way he knows that we aren't angry or upset with him for doing it. As for messing, the liquid diet from the tube will be taking care of most of that, but he still has to be holding something in."  
  
Lucius nodded, "and that's what's worrying me, it can't be healthy for him."

"I agree" Severus sighed lightly, "We'll have to come up with a plan if it continues. I can always brew a laxative potion to put through his feeding tube."

Lucius agreed and both men headed to bed, knowing that the next day was going to be a long one. Unfortunately for them, it started a lot earlier then planned.

 

Harry woke up at 4 in the morning, to an immediate pain in his stomach that was familiar after over a week of holding in his bowel movements. He knew that Lucius had been using a formula that was designed to make him go over the past few days but he'd still managed to hold on, just. 

He took a few deep breaths before wriggling around, realizing his feet were encased in a sack and that there was no way he was getting out. His hands were also restrained to either side of the crib, because the adults couldn't trust him not to try and hurt himself during the night. 

He let out a loud huff and kicked the side of the crib, waiting for someone to hear and come and get him.

After a few minutes of silence, he called out, "Hey! Let me out!"

When again, silence followed, Harry tried to avoid the fear creeping up that he'd been abandoned. It was something he's always been terrified of, of people just leaving him behind like his parents and Sirius did. 

"Anyone!" He cried out, tears starting to run freely down his face, cries and begs slipping through his lips as the feeling of loneliness took over. He quickly started struggling for breath, not noticing the side of the crib sliding down, nor his hands being freed, until he was lifted up against a hard chest, being rocked back and forth.

"Ssssssh little one" A low voice soothed, "deep breaths," making Harry's eyes widen in shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short! I will work on another chapter soon, still learning to cope with the workload of uni! 
> 
> So who do you think has picked Harry up? *hint hint* Those on my twitter already know.


	9. Chapter Nine

Draco cradled Harry gently against his chest, rocking lightly back and forth, "match my breathing little guy," he soothed gently, pacing around the room.

Harry gasped for breath, trying to match it to Draco's but unable to. His whole body was shaking from the force of the sobs still ripping through his body.

He felt Draco moving over to the other side of the room, before lowering himself into the rocking chair.

He was sat up slightly, his face gently tucked against Draco's neck, "Relax Harry" He crooned gently, rubbing his back.

They sat like that for a while, Draco rocking the chair back and forth and murmuring soothingly to Harry, listening as his breathing slowly evened out. 

"How're you feeling?" Draco asked softly after a few more moments, sitting Harry up and stroking his cheek gently.

Harry shrugged weakly, eyes slightly drooping, tired from all the panicking, "Dunno" He croaked out.

Draco nodded, "this is all pretty confusing isn't it?" he murmured lightly, kissing his head gently.

Harry nodded weakly, face still tucked against Draco's neck lightly, "why're you being so nice?" he mumbled.

Draco chuckled softly, rubbing his back gently, "because you're my little brother now Harry" he murmured, stroking a hand lightly through his hair, "And I take care of my family."

Harry stiffened a little, "I don't have a family, they're all.. gone" His voice drifted down to a whisper, tears welling up again as he thought of his parents and Sirius.

"Yes you do" Draco murmured immediately, "we're your family now Harry. And we're not going anywhere."

Harry stiffened further, "promise?" he asked in a tiny voice, staring down at his hand.

"I promise" Draco nodded, "we're going to look after you, keep you safe and love you."

Harry let out a soft whimper, burying himself against Draco's neck and letting himself cry. He'd assumed that Draco would hate him, and that Lucius and Severus were only taking care of him because they were told to. To be told that he was a part of their family, that he was wanted and loved, was special, made him so happy that he was crying.

"There, there" Draco soothed, rubbing his back and grabbing a dummy, nudging his lips and only just managing to hide his shock when Harry accepted the soother, starting to suck lightly on it, "I've got you. Big brother Draco is right here."

 

Draco woke up to a bright flash, blinking his eyes open to see Severus standing there with a camera. He felt a soft puff against his neck and looked down, Harry curled against his chest fast asleep. They'd cuddled together in the rocking chair for about an hour, before Harry had drifted off to sleep. Draco had been too scared to move the small teenager and had just stayed in the rocking chair, moving slowly back and forth.

Severus chuckled lightly at the shock on Draco's face, "Couldn't resist" He murmured, moving over to the pair after putting the camera down. 

He ran a hand lightly through Harry's hair before carefully lifting the boy off Draco's lap and cradling him gently, "That was so cute. My two boys, cuddling together."

Draco smiled sleepily at him, "he was a panic attack last night, I think he was scared that he'd been abandoned" he murmured.

Severus nodded, "we suspected that he'd have abandonment issues, purely because of his history."

Draco stood and stretched carefully, "I might go catch a few more hours sleep, see you at lunch" He smiled.

Severus nodded, humming softly and carrying Harry to the changing table, starting to gently undress him, being careful not to wake him up. He knew from Lucius that Harry hadn't been sleeping well, constantly tossing and turning. Seeing him sleeping soundly against his big brother was a relief. 

Once Harry's clean nappy was exchanged for a fresh one, as Severus didn't want him getting a rash from sweat through the night. Severus wandered over to the chest of drawers, searching through them to find something for Harry to wear for the day. He smiled to himself when he found a cute little onesie with a house on the front to wear, along with matching dark green pants with a fox on the butt. To complete the outfit, he grabbed a dark green fox beaning to keep Harry's head warm. 

Returning to the changing table to find Harry just starting to stir, Severus quickly got him dressed, cooing lightly at how the bob of the dummy under his nose sped up the more Harry woke up.

Harry blinked his eyes open for a few minutes before they slipped shut again, too sleepy to bother trying to stay awake. They opened once more as he felt himself being lifted but once again shut, as he was cuddled against a warm chest.

Severus chuckled lightly and carried him downstairs, sitting down at the dining table to read the newspaper and eat his breakfast, wanting to have some quiet time cuddling his little boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry's fox outfit can be seen on my twitter!


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken so long! I had knee surgery because of a netball injury and then some family stuff happened. There is probably going to be a long break after this update as well because I have final exams coming up in the next few weeks!

Severus sat at the dining table, sipping slowly on his coffee. The newspaper was floating in front of him and he was reading it slowly, Harry cradled tightly to his chest with his other hand.

He'd got Harry's morning feed hooked up while the boy was still dozing and mostly asleep, knowing that it would mean less fuss. Lucius had joined them after a few minutes, smiling at the sigh and slowly grabbing his own breakfast, yawning quietly.

Harry started to stir slowly, not wanting to wake up. He felt completely warm and content were he was, bundled in blankets against a hard chest. He could hear the slow thumping of someones heart, he was too tired to check who, and the rhythmic movement as they breathed. The slow repetitive movement and steady noise did their job in keeping him calm and sleepy.

Severus chuckled lightly as Harry let out a little whine around his dummy and buried his face against his neck, "Sleepy boy" He cooed lightly, putting his coffee down to run a hand slowly through Harry's hair. 

Harry just whined again, not liking that his warm pillow was vibrating with laughter. 

Severus calmed himself and just stroked Harry's hair, turning to Lucius, "Should we try a bottle?" He asked quietly, doubting they'd have much success but they had to keep trying.

Lucius nodded, moving over to kiss him lightly and stroke Harry's cheek, "How about we try a spiced one?" He hummed, having spent the last few days trialing different flavors to see if they could get Harry interested.

He went to the kitchen and mixed up the formula, adding cinammon, nutmeg and cloves along with a little bit of honey to sweeten it. Once it was warmed up, he returned to the dining room to find Harry starting to open his eyes.

Severus was smiling lightly, "There we go. Such a cute little guy" He crooned softly, rubbing Harry's stomach lightly as he woke, keeping him reclined back in a cradled position.

Harry yawned widely, his dummy falling out as he did so, feeling a little bit confused at how content and loved he felt, never really having felt those sensations before. It was new to him, but, he mused to himself, he could definitely get used to being loved like this.

Severus took the bottle off Lucius and took a light breath before gently slipping the bottle into Harry's mouth, hoping he would latch on liek he'd done with the dummy.

Harry frowned a little bit at the intrusion and bit down on the nipple, staring up at Severus, who smiled at how cute he looked, "It's gonna be yummy little one, Papa promises"

Harry relaxed a little at the promise. As strained as Severus and his relationship had always been, the man had never lied to him and never broken a promise. He trusted him to keep his word and be truthful. He slowly, and nervously, sucked twice on the bottle.

He was reward for his efforts with not only wide grins from both of his 'daddies' but also a mouthful of warm, sweet formula. The spiced flavor was delicate and not at all overpowering, balanced perfecting with the sweet heaviness of the formula. He swirled it around his mouth, still frowning a little as he considered whether or not to swallow, not sure that he wanted to lose the flavor and sensation of the warm liquid.

He blinked slowly and glanced up at Lucius, who had a hopeful expression on his face. This was the closest they'd gotten to feeding Harry, as previously he'd refused to even suckle on a bottle.

Harry's gaze slid to Severus, who had the same hope on his face, but also a hint of pride. Harry startled a little, amazed as she realized that that pride was directed towards himself, at the achievement he'd made purely but taking a suck.

He decided in that moment that he liked making people proud of him, and with that decided, he reached a hand up to grip Severus' shirt. CLinging tightly to the man, he forced himself to swallow, feeling the strange (to him) sensation of liquid slipping down his throat.

Lucius couldn't hold back a wide grin, "such a good boy" he murmured softly, "making us so proud of you."

Harry blushed a little bit at his words, a tiny smile slipping onto his face. 

Severus stroked his cheek lightly, "Do you want some more? You don't have to. We're so proud of you already."

Harry considered for a few moments before deciding he liked the sensation of the formula in his mouth, taking a few small suckles and getting a full mouthful. He held the liquid in his mouth until the warmth has dissipated, glad the the two men had gone back to focusing on other things, letting him take his time and process what he was doing. He swallowed again, taking a few deep breaths and taking a third swallow before pulling himself away from the bottle.

He watched up at Severus as he pulled away, scared that he was going to get in trouble. But Severus only smiled softly, taking the bottle and setting it on the table, sitting Harry up a little more and rubbing his back firmly, "All done little guy? You did so well."

Harry nodded slowly to him, a small smile appearing at the praise, before his eyes went wide as he let out a small burp, spurred by the rubbing on his back.

Severus chuckled softly at his surprise, "Drink from a bottle can give you a bit of gas" He explained softly, slipping the dummy back into Harry's mouth lightly. Harry latched on immediately, enjoying the comfort of having something to suck on.

"Now, I was thinking that we could go out for lunch today" Lucius smiled softly, reaching out to stroke Harry's cheek, "there is a yummy Italian restaurant just down the road that has private booths. What do you think baby?"

Harry looked between the two men slowly, then down at his outfit before, after a few moments, slowly nodding. He was going to try his hardest to make them proud, even if it mean pushing himself out of his comfort zone.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I start off every authors note like this but - I am so sorry that it took me this long to update. Life has been hectic and I just can't guarantee regular updates.

Harry whimpered loudly and clung tightly to Severus, shaking his head a little bit as he stared down at the item sitting innocently in the foyer.

"It's okay little one" Severus soothed, rubbing his back lightly, "It won't hurt you."

Draco and Lucius stood alongside _it _, waiting and watching as Severus tried to convince Harry to let himself be put in the stroller. The restaurant was only a short walk away, so the safest spot for Harry was the stroller. Plus, it meant that if he fell asleep, he'd have somewhere comfortable and warm to do so.__

"No!" Harry protested weakly, "I'm not a baby! I can walk!" 

Severus sighed lightly and ran a hand lightly through his hair and down his back, "You are a baby love" He murmured softly, "Our little baby boy. It's much too far for you to walk."

Harry scowled at him, starting to get frustrated. He began to struggle lightly against Severus' grip, forgetting all about trying to make the men proud and just wanting to be treated like an adult. "I'm not a fucking baby!" He yelled loudly, punching at his chest and kicking his legs angrily.

Lucius moved over to the pair and laid a hand on Harry's back, reaching around and gently nudging a dummy into his mouth, "Language baby, don't speak to your Papa like that" He said sternly.

Harry spat the dummy out immediately, "He's not my fucking Papa! You guys are so fucked up!"

Lucius didn't respond, simply catching the dummy and putting it back into Harry's mouth, charming it so that he couldn't spit it out, before turning to Severus, "I think someone might need a mouth wash when we get back from lunch."

Severus nodded, "That he might, unless he starts to behave like the good boy I know he is" He murmured, knowing that Harry was still listening, moving over to the stroller and holding Harry tightly as he lowered him into it, ignoring the angry, albeit muffled cries from the boy in his arms, "Relax baby boy, your stroller is gonna be so comfy." He crooned.

He did the straps up, gently catching Harry's chin and tilting it up so they made eye contact, "Papa doesn't want to have to restrain you more baby boy, so I need you to be good for me. Otherwise I'll need to put mittens on you and we'll be back to square one."

Harry scowled at him but went still, flopping back against the padding of the stroller with an angry huff.

Severus smiled and leaned in, kissing his forehead softly but quickly, before laying a blanket over Harry and tucking it under his chin, "There we go" He cooed.

Lucius took the handles of the stroller and started pushing it, while Severus grabbed the nappy bag and slung it over the shoulder, "Let's go then" He hummed, opening the front door.

The walk only took five minutes, and Harry couldn't help but feel soothed by the gentle movement of the stroller. He looked around curiously, watching as people in the magical community didn't blink an eye at the teenager stuck in a stroller with a dummy in his mouth.

"What can you see Harry?" Draco asked with a soft smile, walking next to the stroller, chuckling lightly when all he got was a glare in response.

"Here we are" Severus smiled, opening the door to the restaurant and asked for a private booth for three, with room to park the stroller. That got a small protest from Harry, who realized that he wasn't going to get to sit like an adult, that they were going to continue the way they had been.

Draco ran a hand through Harry's hair soothingly as they were led to the booth, sliding in once they arrived.

Lucius parked the stroller in the space and cooed at the glare that Harry was giving them, "Such a grumpy boy" He cooed, undoing the straps and gently lifting him out, wrapping the blanket around him in a very loose swaddle.

Harry scowled and tried to wriggle himself free as Lucius sat down, not wanting to sit on the man's lap in public. "So squirmy" Lucius murmured softly, tilting Harry a little and pulling out the back of his nappy, "Did you do a wee wee? Is that why you're so squirmy and grouchy?"

Harry flushed bright red, humiliated to have his nappy checked where everyone could see. 'At least I'm not wet' he told himself softly, 'that would make this worse.'

Lucius frowned a little bit and checked his watch, it had been at least six or seven hours since Harry had last been changed, and that was when Severus got him dressed that morning. "Sev, was Harry wet this morning?" He asked softly, noticing that Harry tensed as he spoke.

"No, only a bit sweaty, why?" Severus asked, worry appearing on his face. "He's still dry" Lucius sighed, gently shifting Harry so that the teenagers back was to his chest, pinning him in place with one arm and using his other hand to slowly rub his stomach.

Harry froze, tensing up his muscles as much as he could, shaking his head furiously and yelling through the dummy. 

"Just let go love, then Daddy will change you" Lucius soothed softly, pressing a little bit harder.

Harry moaned in pain, the extra pressure just enough to push him over the edge, his nappy getting wet and soggy between his legs. He whimpered softly and tried to hold back tears as Lucius stood up, grabbing the nappy bag and heading for the bathroom.

"There we go" Lucius soothed, kissing his head softly, "So proud of you, such a good little boy" He murmured lightly, opening the door to the bathroom and conjuring up a table to lay the changing mat on. No child of his would get changed on a restaurant bathroom floor. He changed Harry quickly and then just cuddled him close, rocking slowly from side to side.

Harry broke into sobs as he was being changed, shaking his head weakly and letting out soft whimpers as his bladder spasmed painfully from being stretched so much. 

"You can't keep holding it that long love" Lucius murmured, kissing his forehead softly, "You'll make yourself seriously ill. Please. Promise me you won't"

Harry whimpered but nodded weakly, in too much pain from holding it that long to want to do that again, burrowing against Lucius. Despite being frustrated with his situation, at that moment he needed comfort, something the blonde was all to happy to give.

Lucius carried him back to the table and sat there cradling him close, rubbing his back and stoking his hair gently. He chatted softly with Severus and Draco, giving Harry a chance to calm himself. He looked down a few minutes later and smiled fondly. Harry was fast asleep, dummy bobbing lightly under his nose as he curled up against Lucius' chest.

Lucius stroked his cheek lightly and cuddled him a little closer, knowing that he could put Harry in the stroller but deciding not to. Right now he just wanted to hold his little boy, and keep him safe from the world.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone asking me if I've given up on this fic - I haven't - I'm just extremely busy right now and can't devote much time to writing.

Harry started to wake up as the rest of the family finished eating their lunch, shifting and whining softly in Lucius' arms. He blinked his eyes open and sucked lightly on the dummy still parked firmly in his mouth.

Lucius smiled and stroked his cheek lightly after setting his fork down, "Hello sleepy boy" he crooned, "Did you have a nice nap?"

Harry just blinked up at him, sniffling lightly and coughing a few times, making a face when he noticed that a feeding bag was levitating just above him. They'd started his feed about half an hour beforehand, hoping to finish it before he woke up.

"I know sweet one" Lucius murmured soothingly to him, rocking lightly, "The feed is a bit icky huh? Wanna try a baba instead? Daddy can stop the feed while you have a go." He kept his voice low and smooth, not wanting Harry to freak out about being in public and getting a bottle.

Severus passed him a bottle, trying not to make a fuss over it as Harry nodded shyly, still silent but keeping his eyes on Lucius intently.

"Daddy is so proud of you for trying" Lucius murmured, kissing his head softly before stopping the flow of formula and unhooking the tube, holding the nipple of the bottle to Harry's lips.

Harry whimpered uncertainly, one hand reaching up to lay over the bottle, his hand shaking weakly. He whimpered again when he realized that he was so weak that he could barely hold his arms up. 

"What's wrong little one?" Lucius said after a few moments of Harry just staring at the bottle without moving, blinking slowly and whimpering occasionally.

Harry's eyes snapped to his and he opened his mouth slowly and cautiously, letting Lucius guide the bottle in. He waited a few more moments before he latched on and started drinking slowly.

Lucius cheered inwardly once Harry made it past three swallows, his smile getting wider the more the boy drank. He stroked Harry's hair and murmured soft reassurances to him, glancing up to watch Draco finishing his dessert and Severus sipping on a coffee, smiling lightly. "We'll let Harry finish his bottle and then head home" He said softly, "I can get the rest of my lunch to go."

"Don't be silly father" Draco smiled softly, keeping his voice low as well, so as to not startle Harry, "I can hold Harry while you finish and Sev finishes his coffee. We're in no rush."

Lucius smiled gratefully and nodded, stroking Harry's cheek as he suckled the last few times. Harry jumped a little as a loud slurping noise came from the bottle, signifying that he'd drunk it all. 

"Such a good boy" Lucius praised, gently sitting him up and patting his back firmly. Harry frowned at him, confused, until a series of little burps left him from the pockets of air he'd swallowed. "That's my boy. Get all of that icky gas out huh?" He crooned, kissing Harry's forehead and slipping his dummy back in before the lad could comment.

"Let's have a cuddle with big brother Draco now" He murmured before gently shifting him onto Draco's lap.

Draco grinned and cuddled Harry against his chest, rubbing his back lightly and kissing his head, seeing that Harry was already sleepy again from the warm bottle. "We're going home soon little one, then maybe we can play a little bit" He murmured softly to him.

Harry frowned but nodded slowly, trying to push the dummy out but unable to because of the charms on it. He whined and pouted, which only made Draco chuckle and stroke his cheek, "Don't you like your dummy baby?"

Harry huffed and shook his head, glancing up as the waiter brought over the bill, with Severus' paying. His cheeks flushed lightly red as the waiter looked at him, hiding his face in Draco's neck quickly, albeit clumsily. Draco rubbed his back soothingly and smiled, "Let's get you snuggled up in your stroller and head home hm?"

The walk home was uneventful, despite Harry's best attempts to wriggle himself out of the stroller without the other three noticing, to no avail. He stopped trying after Severus warned him the mittens might have to go on if he couldn't get his hands to behave.

Once they got home and Harry was scooped up by the Potions Master, he tapped the dummy pleadingly, wanting to say something. Severus gently eased the dummy out with a fond smile, kissing his nose, "Yes love?"

"Can I go now?" Harry asked quietly, looking him in the eyes. 

"Go where little one?" Severus murmured, sitting on the couch with Harry on his lap, facing sideways.

"Home. " He said softly, before rushing on once he saw Severus' face, "Cause I'm better now. I've put on weight and I ate and I haven't hurt myself and..." He stopped when Severus held up his hand.

Severus' face softened but he kept his voice firm but kind, "You're not going anywhere Harry. You've got a lot more weight to gain and you're a long way from being healthy. Besides, Daddy got your custody for two years, so you'll be staying here for that long at least."

Lucius and Draco were standing nearby, waiting for the meltdown to come when Harry realized he was stuck there. And what a meltdown it was...


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING - this chapter gets a bit graphic and contains a suicide attempt, please don't read if this could trigger you at all.

Harry screamed. And screamed. And screamed. He kicked and thrashed and fought as much as he could to get himself out of Severus' arms, screaming his head off. His throat burned sharply but he didn't stop, pushing and kicking and doing anything he could to get himself away. 

Severus grunted with each hit, doing his best to hold onto the struggling teenager but after a few moments his arms failed, Harry slipping the the floor. 

Before any of them could react, Harry was off like a shot, stumbling lightly as his legs carried his weight for the first time in a few days, and his socks slipped on the hardwood floors. 

"Harry!" Lucius called as they all ran after him, hearing doors slam as the distraught boy tried to block their path. "Draco" Severus said urgently, "Floo Madame Pomfrey, we may need her." Draco paled but nodded, heading to the floo quickly to call Hogwarts.

Harry dove into one of the bathrooms with a sob, slamming the door and locking it, slumping against the door and sliding down to the floor. He whimpered lightly as he heard the loud footsteps reached the hallway, and then paused in front of the door.

"Harry" Lucius said lightly as he tried the door handle, not surprised to find it locked, "Why don't we talk about this okay?" All he got in response was a loud sob and he winced, glancing at Severus before saying quietly, "Can you let me in love? I promise I won't hurt you, I just want to make sure that you're safe."

\----TRIGGERING SECTION STARTS HERE---------

Harry shook his head to himself, crying softly as he shuffled over to the cabinets, unable to find anything that he could hurt himself with. Until he noticed the water glass sitting by the sink.

Lucius continued talking to the door, hearing Harry's crying still, which showed them that he was physically alright in that moment. They didn't want to break down the door unless they had to. Lucius knew that after this he would be removing all the alohomora-proof locks in the house, placed originally for courtesy.

Suddenly Harry went silent and both men stiffened, "Harry?" Severus called, "What're you doing buddy?"

A loud sob, followed by a harsh smashing noise was his answer and both men shared a look before Severus kicked the hinges of the door sharply, sending the door flying open.

What they found would haunt Lucius' dreams for years to come. Harry was sitting on floor, surrounded by broken glass, gripping a piece tightly in his hand and trying to slice through the bandages and into his arms. Blood was pouring down his arm from cuts in his hand where he was gripping the jagged glass.

Lucius grabbed his wrists, holding them apart in a tight but not painful grip, scared Harry had managed to cut his wrists again. While Lucius held his arms, Severus carefully vanished the shard of glass in Harry's hand, making the boy let out a heart-wrenching sob, "NO!"

"I'm sorry little one" Severus said gently, opening one of the locked cabinets and grabbing out a muggle hypodermic needle and some sedative, "But we can't let you hurt yourself."

He knelt down beside Harry and filled the needle, "Papa's going to help you to calm down a little bit now okay? So that the nurse can fix up your hand" he explained gently, tugging down the shoulder of his onesie and pressing the needle in, depressing the plunger and waiting. 

A few moments later, Harry's desperate sobs dissolved into weak sniffles as he lurched forward, Lucius catching him as his muscles relaxed. He cradled Harry to his chest and stood carefully, stroking his cheek. 

Harry whimpered weakly, looking up at him with pleading, watery eyes. He just wanted this all to be over. 

"It's alright little one, Daddy and Papa are going to clean you up now" He murmured, carrying him to the nursery and wrapping a towel around his poor hand to stem the bleeding until Poppy could heal the wound. 

Poppy arrived moments after they did, tutting softly and adding a few stitches to the wound, unable to heal it by magic. She bandaged it carefully, leaving care instructions and promising to stay to talk after they got the teenager settled a little more.

Together they worked to get Harry out of his bloody onesie, wrapping him in a new thick nappy and some mittens, along with a clean sleeper that went over the mittens as well. Severus laid a blanket out on the floor which Lucius carefully laid the boy on before swaddling him tightly, slipping a dummy into his mouth.

Harry immediately tried to push the dummy out with a whimper, eyes drooping as he blinked slowly, watching the two men weakly.

"It's okay buddy, you just suckle on your dummy while Daddy and Papa talk with Poppy" Lucius murmured, standing up with Harry in his arms, cradled tightly to his chest, the teenager immobilized by a combination of the sedative and swaddle. 

He followed Severus out to the living room, the bassinet already there and waiting for him to lay his precious bundle in. Harry whimpered as Lucius set up another bag of feed to drip through his feeding tube, before stroking his cheek and murmured, "Sleep a little bit baby, we'll be right here to keep you safe."

And Harry couldn't stop his eyes drooping shut slowly at the soft, comforting words and the warmth surrounding him. 'I'll escape when I wake up' he thought to himself, drifting to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Poppy sighed softly as she looked at the two obviously exhausted men, both of their eyes filled with worry over the boy sleeping in his bassinet, "I take it you've had a stressful few days?" She questioned softly

Lucius gave a tired chuckle, his hand laying protectively on Harry's stomach, "That's an understatement. He's finally given up on trying to tug his feeding tube out, and he did manage to drink a bottle of formula at lunch, but then he asked to go home and we had to explain that he was here for the next two years. To say he didn't agree with that is a bit of an understatement as well"

Severus laid his hand over Lucius' and rubbed his thumb over the back of his hand, "He's definitely already starting to show some changes. He drinks up any affection we give him, as much as he likes to pretend t not want to be near us. He's fallen asleep cuddling one of us many times so far, and I think it will be a regular occurence in the future."

Poppy nodded with a smile, "I think you two are doing a fantastic job. This was never going to be easy, what with Harry's history and health problems but you've risen to the task admirably."

Both men waited in anticipation. Poppy had to give her final approval for their care over Harry before he would be legally theirs for the full two years, without her approval, they would have to relinquish Harry to another Carer.

Poppy chuckled softly at the sight two normally harsh men looking at her with suh hope and worry, humming a little bit, "I'm perfectly happy to sign off on this, with you two as his primary carers, and Draco as a secondary if the need arises."

Severus sighed with relief. "He's ours," He murmured to Lucius, kissing him gently and smiling weakly, "no one can take him away."

Lucius nodded, leaning back against the couch in relief as well, glad that one last hurdle of paperwork was finally jumped, meaning they could just focus on Harry and his care.

Poppy left soon after, leaving the family to come to terms with their official new member.

Lucius and Severus refused to leave Harry's side until he woke, whining sleepily and wriggling in his swaddle, stilling when he was picked up before he ould even open his eyes.

"Hello sleepyhead" Severus murmured, stroking his cheek lightly as he cradled Harry to his chest, "You had such a nice, long nap, you slept right through Poppy's visit" He crooned.

Harry frowned sleepily and nuzzled against Severus' chest with a grumble, wanting to go back to sleep and forget how they were treating him.

"How about we go see what Draco's doing? I think he was going to try and make us all dinner, isn't that exciting?" Lucius added, as they wandered out of the room to head down to the kitchen, knowing that Draco was worried about his little brother.

Harry finally opened his eyes, looking around sleepily and yawning loudly, his whole mouth stretching wide as he turned to jelly in Severus' arms. He couldn't help but smile shyly at the huge grin that erupted onto Draco's face when the blonde saw he was awake, "Harry!"

Harry blushed as he was scooped into Draco's arms and cuddled close, "Please don't scare me like that again please, I couldn't bear to see you hurt" the blonde murmured into his ear, rocking them back and forth lightly, "now, I made us all pancakes for dinner" he grinned.

Harry glanced towards the stack of pancakes and couldn't help the soft whine that slipped form his mouth, not even noticing the hopeful looks the 'adults' exchanged, only watching as Severus cut a piece an guided it to his lips. He only really realised what he had done when the pancake was sliding down his throat, the sweet taste of maple syrup left on his tongue.

He started to protest, only to pause at the truly happy expressions on everyone in the room. Had he truly made them that happy just by eating something?

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on twitter @blackparadiseff for updates or to see images related to Traditional Carer!


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